The Stand-In Empress’S Wedding Night [EN]: Chapter 28

28. Were You Curious About Last Night?

I couldn’t move under Rinel’s gaze, which seemed to devour me.

“Zelda…….”

The moment he called my name, his voice thick with affection, I was so grateful I closed my eyes. His lips descended upon mine, wordlessly. After a brief hesitation, his kiss became insistent, almost desperate, as if he were staking his claim. He explored my lips freely, as if it were his rightful place, then released me gently, wandered sadly, and then clung to me again… It felt as though Rinel was trying to absorb my very essence.

He pulled away, letting out a soft sigh.

“Tell me. Tell me to stay with you tonight.”

His desperate plea left me breathless again.

“Tell me you don’t want me to go to a concubine’s chambers.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

I opened my eyes, regretting the fleeting sensation of his presence, and answered.

“Haa, is that so.”

He kissed me again. A shiver ran through my entire body, threatening to explode. Without realizing it, I wrapped my arms tightly around his broad, sturdy back. My contradictory actions felt absurdly thrilling. He exhaled a deep breath he had barely managed to hold in.

“Haa… Here, you move as I please, but why do your words keep pushing me away…”

He whispered, touching my lips with his fingers.

“Please, Zelda. If you have nothing kind to say to me, just keep your mouth shut.”

Rinel whispered, pressing his cheek against mine.

“I keep getting petulant and wanting to stop you.”

Rinel’s blue eyes sparkled like the Mediterranean Sea under the warm sunlight.

“Say it again…”

He buried his face in my neck and said,

“I don’t want you to be in my chamber tonight, Your Majesty.”

“……What?”

He abruptly lifted his head and looked down at me with a shocked expression. A disappointed look. Eyes clouded with hurt. Lips frozen, unable to speak. His beautiful body slowly moving away from me. Watching Rinel’s devastated expression, I cursed the words I had just spoken. But it was an unavoidable choice. I couldn’t meet his eyes and simply turned my head away.

“You don’t want me to be with you tonight? Is that what you meant? Just now?”

Rinel’s hand brought my face back to its original position as he pressed me for an answer. I knew that if I said yes, he would leave the bedroom without asking twice. And perhaps he might not even visit the Empress’s Palace again. A mix of fear and anxiety spread rapidly through my heart.

“Zelda, do you not even want to look at me, or answer me?”

Rinel rose completely. A cold breeze blew over my body where he had been.

“Are you angry that I interrupted your pleasant conversation with Grand Duke Martins?”

He absurdly sought the reason for my rejection in the wrong place. Would that be better? No, I didn’t want that.

“You know that’s not it, Your Majesty.”

I rose as well, answering him.

“But you’re not telling me not to go either. Are you?”

Instead of answering, I placed my hand on his shoulder. He avoided my touch and stepped aside. My heart ached. Rinel stared at me for a moment with a thoughtful look, sending a look that he wanted me to hold him back. As my gaze fell from his face, he turned away. He flung open the bedroom door and looked back at me, saying,

“If that is the Empress’s wish, I shall go to the concubine’s chambers now.”

The last words he left behind stayed with me all night, tormenting me.

***

In the end, I stayed up all night. His sorrowful eyes as he left the bedroom made my heart ache until dawn. Every hour, unwanted thoughts kept popping into my head about what he might be doing in the concubine’s chambers. Sharon told me earlier that Rinel and his attendants, after leaving the Empress’s Palace last night, seemed to be heading towards the palace of the First Concubine, Catherine.

“But it’s not certain whether His Majesty actually went to Catherine’s chambers. That direction is also a course he usually enjoys for night walks…”

Sharon quickly added, as if trying to comfort me.

“It’s okay. It’s only natural.”

A bitter smile touched my lips as I drank my tea. What if I had stopped him last night? We would have surely had a good night. But this wasn’t such a simple matter. The anger of Catherine, the First Concubine who was abandoned on the first night, would surely reach the ears of her father, Duke Ette Karios, who possessed the most powerful private army in the Lapion Empire. And that fact would not only be talked about by Duke Karios but also by all the ministers, leading to vigilance and resistance towards me. It was only natural that Emperor Rinel’s position would become difficult. So, it was the right thing to do.

“Yes, it was the right thing to do.”

Until Princess Resilia remarried him, I had to avoid creating any issues that could cause friction with the Lapion ministers as an Empress from the Shattonil Kingdom. But the reason I didn’t hold him back yesterday wasn’t for Princess Resilia, nor for the Shattonil Kingdom. It was solely for Emperor Rinel Gardion Edpha himself. Although the conflict with the ministers was avoided due to my choice last night, Rinel’s hurt feelings had not yet been resolved. Perhaps they might never be resolved. Even if I were to leave this place, I wanted to get along well with him until then. His hurt face last night was truly awful.

“Sharon, what would His Majesty be doing at this hour?”

I asked weakly as I was being styled by the three maids in front of the vanity.

“At this time, I believe he would be having tea in his office or audience chamber.”

“I see…”

“Um, Your Majesty?”

Sharon, Solliere, and Theresa exchanged glances, and Sharon stepped forward as their representative, cautiously speaking.

“Yes? Is there something you want to say?”

“Well… I know it’s presumptuous, but according to a close maid working in the main palace, His Majesty is currently alone in his office.”

“Really?”

“It seems there will be no audience after the luncheon today. So, if Your Majesty were to go to the main palace now…”

“Sharon.”

“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty! I shouldn’t have pretended to know and upset you…”

“Let’s go to the main palace right now!”

Since Solliere had finished styling my hair, I stood up from the vanity chair without hesitation. I instinctively felt that I needed to see him right away.

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

Sharon’s expression brightened again.

“Let’s go!”

Solliere put down the brush she was holding on the vanity and quickly opened the bedroom door.

“Just a moment, Your Majesty!”

This time, Theresa, who was in charge of my makeup, grabbed me as I was about to leave the bedroom and added a touch of pink lipstick similar to my eye color, then shouted, ‘Let’s go now!’

***

I walked to the main palace at a rather brisk pace with the maids, who were more excited than I was. From the moment I entered the lobby of the main palace, I took a deep breath and slowed my pace.

“Please announce that the Empress has arrived.”

Upon arriving in front of the office, Sharon spoke to Raphael, the Emperor’s direct secretary, in a solemn tone. Raphael was very flustered by my appearance.

“Y-Your Majesty, I see you! J-Just a moment… Haa, I apologize! Right now, inside the office…”

“Ah, is he meeting with ministers?”

It was possible that someone had requested an audience to meet Rinel before I arrived at the main palace.

“That is… not a minister, but the First Concubine, Catherine, entered a little while ago.”

Raphael said, glancing at me with a very troubled expression. Unlike my calm demeanor, the three maids standing on either side of me simultaneously placed their hands on their hips and glared at Raphael. The innocent Raphael was intimidated by their fierce gazes.

“I thought he went to Catherine’s chambers last night, but what business does she have in the office today?”

I started speaking calmly, but my voice was gradually rising without me realizing it.

“Actually, last night, His Majesty…”

Just as Raphael was about to answer my question, the office door opened. The maid who had brought in the tea was coming out with an empty tray and was startled to see me, leaving the office door open as she greeted me.

“Oh my, I see Your Majesty!”

Because of that, I could see Rinel and Catherine sitting face to face, drinking tea through the crack in the open door. Oh dear. I was just going to leave… but I made eye contact with Rinel. Following his gaze, Catherine also turned her head towards me. Catherine’s bright, smiling features crumpled into a mess as she saw me. Sharon and Raphael seemed anxious about the situation, and I could almost hear them swallowing their saliva.

“What brings the Empress to the office at this hour…?”

Rinel said, getting up from the sofa.

“Come in.”

He was initially surprised, but he greeted me with a colder voice than usual.

“I came thinking you were alone.”

I said, entering the office and glancing at Catherine. Catherine reluctantly and slowly rose, barely bending her knees as she paid her respects to me.

“I see Your Majesty, the Empress.”

Catherine didn’t bow to me today either. I needed to investigate whether she had steel embedded in her neck bones. I gave her a fake smile and focused on Rinel again.

“Sit down.”

He offered me a seat. He was showing courtesy to the Empress, but I felt like he was deliberately avoiding my eyes.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I hesitated for a moment about where to sit. Should I sit on the same sofa as Catherine, or should I go and sit next to Rinel? I thought it would be better to look at his face directly than to face Catherine, so I sat next to her on the sofa.

“Your Majesty, the Empress, you look particularly radiant today?”

Did she know that Rinel was in the Empress’s Palace last night before going to her chambers? Was she looking down on me and being sarcastic now? I glanced at Catherine and shrugged.

“Really? I had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.”

It was obvious to anyone that I hadn’t slept a wink, but I lied to Catherine and smiled brightly. But this time, Rinel seemed uncomfortable. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at me. Both of them, who had spent the night with him, had very sullen expressions as they looked at me. I was the one who spent the long night alone, so why were they acting like this?

“I have said enough to His Majesty, so I will excuse myself now, Empress, Your Majesty.”

Catherine’s tone was sharper than before, and I momentarily almost raised my hand to sharpen it and strike her throat. Now that I looked closely, Catherine’s eyes were as red as mine.

‘How little sleep did the Emperor let her have last night for her eyes to be so red?’

The incarnation of fire within me, which had been spewing heat since dawn, said mockingly. Catherine walked out of the office door gracefully like a proud bird. It seemed like her back was covered in thorns. As the thorns retreated, an even sharper gaze awaited me this time.

“Empress, what is it?”

“Your Majesty, last night…”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“!”

Rinel spoke before I could finish my question. It was an answer I didn’t want to hear or know.

“Wasn’t that what you came to find out?”